The Exile of Remus Lupin
by Skyla Ladona
Summary: When he was small Remus Lupin became a werewolf. His life is an exile where he must hide what he is from a hateful world. But Remus will discover that there are some things that make a life in exile worth living for. DEATHLY HALLOWS SPOILDERS. REVIEW.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter

Note: I love Remus Lupin's character and wanted see more about his life in the books, from the time he was bitten, to the end. To rid my curiosity I am going to write this story. There will be eventually spoilers for the last book in chapters to come.

This is my tribute to Moony.

_The Exile of Remus Lupin _

* * *

The full moon was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. Little Remus Lupin decided this as he made his way along the country road. He stared up at the glowing orb of light with bright brown eyes, a smile on his face. He hummed to himself, hopping on one foot, then he switched to the other. He thought, a little guiltily, that it was late and that his parents would be waiting for him. He supposed he should get home soon.

But the moon was so bright, so beautiful, and he was full of life. A spring night, alight with moon shine, was a perfect time for him to play, he thought.

Remus turned his eyes to the fields, to the shadows the tall English oaks cast across the grass . . . and he froze . . .

One of those shadows was moving.

The small child stepped back, his eyes staring wide as he watched a strange creature stalk near, its shadow long across the ground. It looked like a dog. But something was terribly wrong with it. Its legs were far too long, its body too lanky, bloodstained teeth too large. Its gold, blood shot eyes bore into him and a snarl that shook and vibrated through its whole muscular body echoed through the glade.

The boy gasped and took off at a run towards the small house in the distance. The werewolf howled, blood high with thirst, and sprinted after the boy. In only a few strides the creature overtook the small child. Remus felt the large paws smash into his little back and he fell to the ground face down, the weight of the creature pressing him down into the ground.

The unbearable, excruciating pain came when the great creature bit hard into his little shoulder, long fangs slipping easily into his skin. The boy screamed, eyes tightly closed, terrified tears running down his face. He felt the great beast's claws tearing into his back.

And he heard, though he would forget only moments later, a laugh hidden somewhere in the snarl of that great, gray werewolf.

Orion Lupin tore across the field at a sprint, his brown eyes flashing. "STUPIFY!" he roared.

An explosion of light shot forth from his wand and the creature tearing into his son's shoulder was thrown off the boy. "REMUS!" he screamed, hurtling forwards. REUMUS!"

"P-papa," little Remus whispered from where he lay.

The werewolf howled, his eyes turning to the adult human who now opposed him. "JENNY! GET REMUS!" he bellowed. Jenny Lupin, her eyes filled with tears and terror, swept up her trembling, wounded little son into her arms, feeling helpless. She had no magic like her husband and no way of aiding him. Racing across the field with her son she crooned to the boy, and to herself. "It'll be alright," she whispered. "It'll be alright."

Orion, his anger and despair contorting his face, roared, "Avada Kedavra!"

The werewolf, with an uncanny understanding, dodged the curse, his teeth bared in a grin. He chose that moment to flee from the scene, into the woods, his thirst for selfish survival stronger than his thirst for blood at that moment. Orion nearly chased after him till he froze. "Remus," he sobbed quietly. Whirling about he raced towards the little house on the grassy hill, and he knew life for his boy would never be the same again.

* * *

The pain of the occult wound was terrible, more terrible than an ordinary dog bite. It throbbed and stung. Little Remus whimpered, his closed eyes trembling, as he strived to sleep in the too hot bed, under too hot sheets, trying not to think of the pain and the waves of agony rolling through his body from that wound.

He could hear his father talking to someone. A healer.

"That scar on his shoulder will never disappear. That's the nature of cursed wounds. You are lucky he didn't die. That werewolf would have mauled him if you hadn't stopped it."

There was a small sob and Remus felt his mother's hand gently run through his sweaty, damp hair. Somehow, in his present state of mind, that maternal touch was more painful than comforting.

"My son . . . a werewolf . . ." Orion's voice sounded deflated. Then it rang with anger and grief. "It . . . it's all my fault."

"What do you mean, dear?" Jenny whispered. "How can this be your fault? Orion?"

Orion did not answer. Opening his eyes Remus saw his father rest his head against the wall, his eyes closed, his fists clenched and shaking. Though Remus did not understand, did not know what he had become, he felt as though the world was coming to an end just by glancing at his father's defeated frame. Remus closed his eyes again and the six year old boy wished he was dead.

* * *

Screams pierced the night, echoing from the small house on top of the hill. In the cellar the tortured howls of a small boy shook the dusty air. His bones grinded, muscles contorting as limbs lengthened, his face elongating into a feral snout. Each heartbeat was painful, each breath a knife wound. His brown yellow eyes glowed in the darkness, filled with crazed tears. "MUM!" His roar was bestial. "PAPA!"

The werewolf tore through the cellar, knocking over barrels, tearing into the plaster walls with his claws. With no fresh meat in sight the werewolf bit his arm, scratching his limbs. His shirt and pants soon hung about him in torn shreds.

The beast could smell blood. Fresh human blood. It was just beyond the barricaded cellar door. He clawed at it, snarling fiercely, his eyes filled with blood lust, with hunger. If he tore through it he'd be filled. He wouldn't be in pain anymore.

In the distant recesses of his mind he wept and cried in terror.

_What's happening?! Mum! Dad!_

Orion sat hunched at the other side of that barricaded door, his face buried in one hand, as his shoulders shook with sobs. Jenny wept. "Is there _anything_ you can do?!" she sobbed, and gasped as her son howled loudly, the door shaking.

Orion's voice rasped out in deep pain. "No."

"But you're a wizard, aren't you?!" Jenny wailed franticly, grabbing his arm. Her eyes were wide. "Aren't you able to do anything?!"

"There are . . . some things even a wizard can't do, my dear." Orion whispered.

Jenny sobbed and crooned to the crazed werewolf, her little boy, who bashed himself repeatedly against the door, each howl of rage and terror he issued filling her with pain. "Everything will be alright, Remus," she whispered. "Everything will be fine."

At long last, the full moon disappeared from the sky. Remus trembled, feeling his limbs contorting, his body throbbing with agony as he shrunk back into human form. The crazed blood thirst that had held him throughout the whole night slowly, steadily, left him, along with his energy. Swaying, he collapsed, the cellar about him spinning. "Mum," he whispered.

The door was thrown open and warm arms wrapped around him. His mother, weeping hard, held him close and he rested his head on her shoulder, too weak to speak, too weak to dream when he fell into exhausted slumber.

* * *

"Look there . . . isn't that Lupin?"

Remus Lupin, sitting on a fence on a cold March day, looked up. His face was scarred in a few places, his brown yellow eyes watching curiously as two school children walked across the field, pointing at him. The chilly wind blew gently in his brown, gray streaked hair.

"Yeah. That's him. From a poor peddler family I think. Look at those old clothes."

"Well, it serves him right. He's weird. That house of his is odd too. Don't you hear it? That _thing_ they keep locked up in there?"

"You mean . . . the thing that makes those howls? Maybe they got a werewolf locked up in their cellar."

The two boys laughed and departed along the path, unaware of the truthfulness in their jest. Remus remained seated on the fence, his head downcast, his eyes dull, devoid of emotion, of light.

It wasn't fair.

He got up off the fence and walked across the field, hands thrust into his coat pockets. His father had given him all his old first year school books yesterday from Hogwarts. Since Remus really didn't have anything else to do, he had already read half of "Hogwarts, a History." It hadn't helped his mood at all. It had made it worse. No wizarding school would ever admit a werewolf. Surely Hogwarts, one of the most famous schools in the world, would never allow a safety hazard like him inside its walls. He would never walk the long hallways that were described in that text book. He'd never be sorted into a house. He personally wanted to be in Gryffindor. He thought that the idea of a wolf joining a house meant for lions was amusing.

Remus, approaching his house, looked up. His jaw dropped.

A tall, old man stood in the path near his home, patting his large wizard's hat as he set it once again atop his head. His hair and beard were of the brightest silver and was so long Remus guessed he could have tucked them both into his belt. His blue twinkling eyes sparkled in the March sunshine. He caught sight of the boy and his eyes crinkled with optimistic mirth. "Oh. Hello there." he said.

Remus closed his mouth, trying not to gape. "Uh, may I help you, sir?" he asked.

The tall old man drew out an envelope from the folds on his robes and looked down at it. "I am looking for a Mr. Remus Lupin of 23 William Lane, Bretwalda, England. Have you seen him?"

Remus gulped, his eyes widening. "I-I'm Remus . . . sir," he said.

The tall man chuckled. "Well, of course you are, boy." The wizard pointed. "And that house, on top of the hill, is yours then."

Remus nodded, lost for words.

"Are your parents at home?"

Remus nodded again.

"Well then, let us go see them." The tall man strode forwards and Remus had to trot to keep up.

"Ar—are you a wizard?" Remus asked, feeling stupid.

The man nodded. "Yes."

Remus was confused, but he knew it would be rude to ask questions. Something told him that this odd wizard was incredibly powerful, but not in a frightening way. It was a reassuring power, a strength that made Remus feel the happiest he had ever been in five years.

Remus excused himself to the man and opened the door, trotting into the living room. "Dad, mum," he called.

Orion Lupin looked up from the Daily Prophet opened in his hands. "What's wrong," he said, concerned.

Remus sighed. "Nothing," he said. "There's someone here to talk to me," he said.

Orion's eyes narrowed and he strode past his son, his hand reaching into the pocket of his robes, fingers tightening about his wand. Jenny watched, apprehensive.

Upon seeing who was at the door, however, Orion's eyes widened. He let go of his wand and went red in the face when it clattered loudly to the floor. "P-professor Dumbledore," he stammered, grabbing his wand from where it had fallen. He tucked it again into his pocket. "Come in, please." Hurrying into the other room he whispered to his wife, "Jenny, make some tea, please."

Jenny, peering at the door, gasped as she caught sight of the Professor. "Yes," she said. She looked down at Remus, her expression anxious, but hopeful, an expression Remus rarely saw on her face. "Go into the cupboard for some fudge. Professor Dumbledore might want some."

Remus, simply bursting with questions but resolutely holding them all back, nodded and trotted to the kitchen to get the fudge. Fumbling, he pulled the chocolates out of the small box they were stored in and he put them onto a little plate. He didn't think just setting the dented cardboard box down on a table in front of the magnificent wizard was presentable. He hurried into the living room and found the professor sitting in a chair. Orion sat across from the man, his hands clasped, his expression tight. Setting the fudge on the table beside the stranger, Remus mumbled something about hoping the professor would like some fudge and he went to sit in the corner, sitting on the edge of a chair. Dumbledore smiled. "Don't be shy boy. Come sit over here with us."

Remus nearly knocked over the chair as he placed it beside his father. He sat there, excitement coursing through him. He glanced at his father in confusion but Orion smiled down at him reassuring, though the corner of his smile trembled a little.

Jenny came soon into the room with the tea and a few scones, blushing. "I'm sorry it took long," she murmered, embarrassed as she apologized for her lack of magic. "I . . . I'm not . . ."

Dumbledore smiled warmly. "Sometimes tea tastes better when time and hard work is taken to make it," he replied simply. Jenny, beaming, watched as Dumbledore took the first sip of tea and a bite of a scone. "Excellent," he said. "And your fudge is very good." Remus watched with amazement as the great and powerful wizard retrieved a small bag of Muggle candy from his pocket. "Care for a lemon drop, Remus?" he asked. "They are quite good as well."

Remus, gulping, nodded, and the lemon drop fell into his palm. It was the first time anyone but his parents had given him candy. "Thank you," he murmered.

Orion tapped his foot on the floor worriedly. "Professor Dumbledore," he said quietly. "My boy . . . our boy is a good lad. He's studious, responsible, talented. He's polite. He—" Orion laughed, nervous. "He's already read half of 'Hogwarts, a History,' and I just gave it to him yesterday. He . . . _Please_ _accept him_. With his talents he _needs_ to go to school. None of the other schools . . . they won't . . . I _beg_ you—"

"Orion. Hogwarts, I'm afraid, is not like _other schools_," Dumbledore said, but he still smiled. "Goodness, as _I_ am its Headmaster it would not be like others, I assure you." He looked upon Remus with his twinkling blue eyes. "You are eleven today, Remus. Is that correct?"

Remus blinked. He had forgotten. March 10th, today, was his birthday. "Yes."

Dumbledore chuckled jovially. "Happy birthday, my boy. Here is a letter for you." He passed the letter to the boy who took it, staring at the green lettering on the front addressed to him. He opened it up carefully and pulled out the letter.

**HOGWARTS SCHOOL**

**of WITCHCRAFT and WIARDRY**

**Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore**

(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)

Dear Mr. Lupin,  
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Term starts September 1. The Hogwarts Express leaves from Platform Nine and Three Quarters on August 30 from King's Cross Station. Enclosed is a list of the books and supplies you will need. We await your answer by owl.  
Sincerely,  
Minerva McGonagall  
Deputy Headmistress

After reading the letter, Remus looked up at both his parents, his face breaking into a smile. "Hogwarts!" he said, his eyes wide with glee.

Orion sat back in his chair with a relieved sigh, his eyes staring at Professor Dumbledore. "Then he has been accepted. You accepted him."

Dumbledore smiled. "Yes I have. I would be a terrible Headmaster if I barred a student willing to learn and who had the talent and thirst to do so from our doors."

Jenny, glee filling her eyes, flung her arms about the still seated headmaster. Orion cleared his throat. Jenny stepped back from the Headmaster, flustered. "I—I'm sorry, Professor," she muttered.

Dumbledore laughed though. "I say, if all parents were this pleased about their children coming to Hogwarts I would be very happy. No harm done, Jenny. However, though this must be a joyous occasion for all of you, we must now speak of safety measures." He looked at Remus. "I would like you to hear this as well, Remus. I apologize if it will make you uncomfortable, but in order to keep you safe you must also be aware."

Remus understood that Dumbledore was about to talk to him about his condition. Remus would listen to every word, no matter how much it hurt him to remember he was different from everyone else. "I won't be uncomfortable," he said, determined.

Dumbledore nodded and looked at all of them. "The Staff and I have built a house in Hogsmeade where Remus can safely undergo his transformations, without the notice of the students and others. We now have a secret passage leading from the Hogwarts grounds to the house." Dumbledore smiled. "We also have brand new tree as well."

"A tree?" Jenny asked, bemused.

"Yes. A rather large, ferocious willow, to be exact." When Jenny gasped in fear Dumbledore reassured her. "Do not worry. The willow simply guards the entrance into the passageway. No one will come close enough to the tree to realize a secret tunnel is right under its roots."

Remus didn't know if he should be happy that his arrival to Hogwarts caused all these new conditions or if he should be ashamed. Even so, the idea of a vicious willow tree was oddly amusing to him.

Dumbledore spoke more with the Lupins, but Remus' thoughts wandered far from the conversation as excitement overtook him.

_I'm going to school . . . I'm going to Hogwarts . . . I'm going to be a wizard . . . I'm going to Hogwarts . . . I'm going to make friends . . . I'm going to Hogwarts . . . _

For the first time since he became a werewolf, his transformations, his pain, his exile, had taken a back seat in his mind.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter

Here is another chapter of _The Exile of Remus Lupin. _

Thank you those who have reviewed. The replies made me happy.

* * *

Diagon Alley was crowded with hundreds of people buying school supplies. The bustling street was noisy. Even though Remus found it a little uncomfortable to be in such a loud, crowded place, he felt cheerful. He had only been in Diagon Alley a few times in his life and it was a joy just to look about him at everything. There were a few venders standing to the side of the narrow street, selling their wares. An old witch stood selling amulets of different shades in between a broom shop and a sweet store. "Protection," she called, "from dark wizards! Protect your children! Protect your loved ones!"

"Don't bother," Orion told his wife, who was eying the amulets with interest. "They probably are no good, and we have little money as it is."

After taking a visit to Gringotts they bought his books and robes from a second hand store. However, they bought a brand new wand from Ollivanders. As they walked out of Ollivanders his father squeezed his hand, grinning down at him. "Let's go buy you an owl," the man said cheerfully.

Remus felt his eyes widened. "Really?" he said, surprised.

With a laugh Orion steered his family towards Eeylops' Owl Emporium. Shouldering a large book bag already filled with his son's supplies he was simply bursting with energy.

Remus and his family walked out of the shop, the boy staring with awe at the small barn owl in the cage. The creature hooted happily, large eyes blinking and studying him.

And as the boy stared at the owl he bumped into a girl with dark red hair walking the opposite direction. "I'm sorry!" they yelped in unison. Then he looked up into the brightest emerald eyes he'd ever seen. The girl wore an apologetic look on her face. The older blonde girl beside her, who must have been her sister, tugged on her mother's sleeve, giving the Lupins a disproving look down her long nose.

"Mummy," she said, her face frowning. "Why does that boy have an owl?"

"We have to get Lilly an owl too, Petunia," an older woman, the girl's mother, said, smiling at the Lupins. "Your son is going to Hogwarts as well?"

Orion nodded, smiling proudly as he patted his son on the back. "Yes he is," he replied. Remus blushed but felt happy nonetheless. There were few reasons for his father to look so proud of him.

The red headed girl, Lilly, shook his hand warmly. "I'm Lilly. Lilly Evans."

"Remus," he said. "Remus Lupin."

She grinned and leaned forwards a little to whisper, "I'm so excited for school. Aren't you?"

Remus nodded, grinning. "I am," he admitted bashfully, awed that she was even speaking to him. And he blushed more when he realized just how pretty she was.

"Lilly," said a voice nearby.

Lilly turned and her gaze brightened while her sister's turned sour. "Sev!" she called and she trotted towards a boy with greasy black hair who wore clothes that were far too big for him. His nose was hooked and he looked rather surly and sinister. But Remus could see a little smile on the boy's pale face that he was tying to hide as Lilly talked excitedly with him. Remus guessed that she just had that effect on everyone she met. The boy named Sev suddenly looked up in Remus' direction and gave him a heated glare over the top of Lilly's dark red head.

Lilly tapped Sev on the nose. "Don't be looking like that, Severus," she said sternly with a teacher-like voice. "We're finally going to Hogwarts. After all those things you told me you should be glad."

"I am," he assured, black eyes widening as though he were afraid he had said something wrong.

"I'm going to buy some ice cream from that shop over there. Come with me." She grabbed Severus' hand and dragged him towards the shop. Before she left though she turned and waved towards Remus. "See you at school, Remus!" she called. Severus turned sharply back to eye him again and nearly tripped on the cobblestones, his arms flapping to keep his balance. He looked a little like an overgrown bat.

"Who was that?" Remus heard Severus say as the two friends walked away.

"Remus Lupin. Did you see his owl? I really want an owl! But why an owl? Why not a falcon? Can't I get a falcon instead?"

"Lilly, we don't use falcons to send messages."

"Non-magic people did though, I think."

"Well, we're not _them_, are we?"

Remus sighed, feeling jealous of Severus but happy for him as well. Even though the black haired boy looked like an unlikable fellow Lilly seemed to be very friendly with him.

The Lupins, with a new wand, new books, new robes, walked out of Diagon Alley and into the Leaky Cauldron. Tom the inn keeper nodded to them as they walked in, smiling. Mrs. Lupin and Mr. Lupin went up to get some warm drinks while Remus sat at the table with all their purchases, tapping his foot happily.

A witch walked passed him and she froze. The woman turned about and Lupin found himself staring into sinister opaque eyes. The old witch smiled with rotten teeth. "Well now," she murmured. "A wolf in sheep's clothing,"

Remus tensed, his eyes widening. _How did she notice? _he thought, hands trembling on his lap.

She limped towards him, a gnarled hand reaching into her robes. "You _reek_ of wolf, boy. Where is your leash?" She was drawing out her wand.

"What are you doing?" Orion Lupin's voice growled dangerously a few paces away, his hand in the pockets of his robe, gripping his wand.

The witch cackled and looked at Orion. "You should put that wolf down. He'd be better off."

Orion's face darkened with anger. "_Get out of here_," he rasped.

The witch laughed once more and left, seeming to glide along the floor like a wraith. Orion crouched down beside his son, his eyes worried. "Did she do anything to you?" he whispered, touching his face. "Did she hurt you?"

Remus shook his head, still trembling. "She . . . she knew what I am. How?"

"I don't know," Orion muttered, and patted Remus' head. "But she's gone. And _no one_ is going to hurt you while I am around, all right?"

Remus felt his eyes fill with tears and he rubbed at them angrily. _I won't cry, _he thought. _I won't. _He looked up at his father a nodded bravely despite his fear.

* * *

The Hogwarts express rolled down the tracks through the green country side. Remus gulped, feeling excitement coursing through him as he looked out his compartment window at the green country side. He felt bold, alive. He was even courageous enough to buy some food from the lady who pushed the trolley down the aisle.

Biting into a chocolate frog, he began collecting the cards, fascinated by the historical names he discovered on each. He had a compartment all to himself.

Despite all the excitement he found himself falling asleep. He was still feeling the effects of his transformation even though it had been more than a week ago. The experience had given him new scars. Soon he was sleeping with his head resting against the window.

He was woken by a rather painful jab in the shoulder. His scarred shoulder. He stopped himself from yelping like a hurt animal as he opened brown yellow eyes to stare up into a pale, pointed face. The seventeen year old blond boy sneered down at Remus. "This is our compartment, boy," he drawled. "Only prefects are allowed here. Get up and leave."

They were not all prefects though. From their colors Remus could tell they were from Slytherin, and each one was just as sour as the other. Remus rubbed sleep from his eyes and got up unsteadily to his feet.

"And by the way," the blond added, "leave your sweets in here. I'm sure the rest of us would like them."

There was laughter from the boy's companions. Remus frowned. Though he had no wish to make enemies on his first day, a reckless streak, born out of the remnants of his werewolf transformations, had taken hold of him.

"All right," he said feebly. He made sure he left all of those sweets there in plain sight, keeping the edible sweets hidden in his robes. Walking dejectedly from the compartment he waited for a moment, listening.

The sound of screams rang through the apartment and he felt a wolfish grin spread across his face. He assumed that the people who ate the sweets now sported three more tongues and several more ears. "Boy! Get back here!" roared the voice of the blond boy. Remus took off at a sprint down the hallways, his grin fading fast.

As he ran a head poked out of one of the compartments. It belonged to a handsome boy with black hair and black eyes. "_Get in! Hurry_" the stranger urged quietly.

Remus quickly obliged and he hurtled into the compartment. There was another boy there who had been sitting on the seat playing around with a deck of cards. He looked up at Lupin through his round spectacles, hearing the sound of someone roaring and galloping down the hallway. The thin boy stood and drew a long silvery material from his school robes. "Get under this and be quiet," he said and he threw the long silken shawl over Remus' head. Remus didn't know how a sheet was going to save him from the terrible wrath of the seventh year prefect but he remained quiet.

Just then the compartment door was roughly opened by the Slytherin's prefect. Remus would have burst into laughter if he hadn't known any better. The blonde boy's pale face was covered in little tentacles. He glared at the two black haired boys. "Have you seen a little runt? Scarred, gray mousy brown haired, scrawny?"

The taller boy scowled. "No. What happened to your face, Malfoy?"

The blond teen called Malfoy grave him a shrewd look. "Sirius Black," he said. "I assume that I will be seeing you later in Slytherin house. I have been meaning to—"

Sirius interrupted him with a smirk. "Please stop talking. I might die from laughter. It's not every day an octopus starts talking to me."

The prefect looked livid . . . which only made his face look more comical. The tentacles, aware of his rage, were writhing. "I'll deal with you later," he growled and left the compartment.

The boy with glasses closed the compartment door, whistling. "So you were telling the truth. Everyone expects you to be in Slytherin."

Sirius laughed bitterly. "They're all slimy, greasy beasts. My family's full of them. Why would I want to be in their house?" He looked at Remus . . . or tried to . . . "James . . . what did you do to him?"

Remus blinked and looked down at himself. This time he did yelp. He couldn't see himself at all.

James, straightening his glasses, smiled. "The Potter family heirloom," he said mysteriously.

"An invisibility cloak?" Sirius said, walking closer to where he judged the boy to be. He reached out a hand and swatted Remus upside the head. The shorter boy gave a protest of pain. "Sorry mate, didn't see you there," the handsome boy answered with a grin.

Remus pulled off the cloak, looking down at it in amazed awe. "Incredible," he murmured. "You said this is an heirloom? It's barely lost any of its original power." He held the cloak up to the light, intrigued, and realized after a moment that James and Sirius were both staring at him. He gulped. "What?" he whispered.

James pointed at the door. "What did you do to Malfoy?" he asked.

Remus blushed. "I was fooling around, really. With a few pieces of candy, just to see what would happen, I guess. When those seventh years seemed interested in them after they kicked me out of the compartment I didn't really feel like telling them I added special ingredients to each one."

Sirius and James exploded into laughter and Remus smiled shyly, sheepishly pleased that these two found this funny. "That's brilliant!" James roared, tearing eyes dancing mischievously. "What's your name?"

"Remus Lupin," the boy answered.

The bespectacled boy held out his hand. "James Potter. This other trickster here is Sirius Black. Met him in London a few months ago. The oaf nearly got himself run over by a double-decker, and even after I saved him he tried to jinx it." He gave Sirius a mocking glare. "_And_ I just happened to find out today that all his family has always been in Slytherin."

Sirius glared back, but still smirked. "I'm going to break apart that tradition."

"Watch you get into Hufflepuff," James joked.

Sirius shivered. "Don't even joke about that," he muttered.

"What about you, Remus?" asked James curiously. "What would you do if you got into Hufflepuff?"

Remus, who had taken a seat, smiled. In all honesty he didn't care whether he became a Hufflepuff or a toerag. He was a toerag that would be attending Hogwarts. Instead, to be on the two boys' good side, he said, "I think I'd rather eat slugs."

James and Sirius laughed.

The remainder of the ride was spent eating sweets, thinking up pranks to play on possible enemies, and collecting chocolate frog cards. James, with an uncanny talent for transfiguration, confidently transformed his chocolate frog into a real frog and the three of them watched the green amphibian hop around the compartment floor.

Remus, laughing at a joke James had said, gave a yawn suddenly, feeling his eyes droop. James studied him curiously. "You all right?" he asked. "You look like you've been under the weather."

Remus nearly choked on a chocolate frog and he looked at James worriedly. He wondered sometimes if werewolves occasionally grew fur on their face during the day. Other than a strange liking for undercooked meat Remus did not feel that he showed any other signs of his condition during the day. In fact he and his parents avoided feeding him meat. He didn't know if eating it would affect him in any way. So, to replace his desire for meat, he had obtained a strange hankering for chocolate instead. He smiled at James. "I had a cold," he said.

James did not look too convinced but he didn't say anything else. Instead he handed him another sweet. "Have some more. It'd be bad if you keeled over on your first day."

Remus accepted the sweet, smiling, thrilled to be accepted for once.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, and sadly I do not own Remus either.

I have decided to continue writing this story, probably because I picked up "The Tales of Beadle the Bard" the other day from the book store.

Hope you enjoy the third chapter of _The Exile of Remus Lupin. _

* * *

"Lupin, Remus!" the stiff looking woman called Professor Minerva McGonagall yelled across the room. Remus walked up to the misshapen old hat and picked it up in his hands. It felt warm, alive, and somehow he could sense the magic tingling under his fingers. He sat down on the stool and placed it on his head.

"Well, this is interesting. I've never seen a Hogwarts student quite like _you_ before." The little voice was whispering close to his ear. Remus shivered, and almost thought fur was slowly sprouting from his small cheeks like enchanted weeds. "But don't fret," the hat added, almost kindly—well, kindly enough for an old, holey hat. "Your secret; though I predict it will not be kept secret for long; is safe with this old hat. I see a fair mind, loyalty. There is a lot of bravery there as well . . . But _you,_ with all the hardships you will undoubtedly face, will need much more bravery if you are ever going to do well with this short life of yours. So I can see no other choice but to put you in . . . GRYFFINDOR!"

Remus shakily took off the sorting hat, gave it back to a smiling Professor McGonagall, and he hurried to sit down with Sirius Black at the Gryffindor table. The black haired boy clapped him on the back and, with a proud smirk, he gazed condescendingly at the Slytherin table. "Hurray for breaking traditions," Sirius murmured.

"Congratulations," said a voice and Remus blushed crimson. Lilly Evans was sitting next to him, smiling brightly.

Remus smiled back. "You too," he said.

"Pettigrew, Peter!" A boy who looked about ready to faint from sheer fear scampered up to the sorting hat and sat down on the stool, staring at the hat as though it would swallow his head whole . . . and it did, once he was brave enough to wear it. And there he sat for nearly five minutes, the sorting hat swallowing his head. The Slytherin table began to laugh. Lilly Evans frowned. "That's not nice," she said. "It took the hat a long time to sort me out too." Remus didn't want to point out that it only took the hat a few seconds to sort her.

Finally the hat, whose voice sounded strangely hesitant, boomed "Gryffindor!"

Pettigrew pulled off the hat, chucked it back onto the stool, and in a mad rush he ran to the back of the Gryffindor table amid laughter, his face green. Sirius laughed but stopped immediately when he saw the intense frown of judgment on Lilly Evan's face.

"Potter, James!" called the professor.

James Potter traded glances with Sirius and they shared smiles. James picked up the sorting hat, tossing it from hand to hand easily, and sat down, putting it confidently on his head. "What a complete oaf," Lilly whispered heatedly. The hat barely had time to sit on James's head before it cried out, "GRYFFINDOR!"

James stood up proudly as the Gryffindor's cheered. He put the hat back on the stool and joined Sirius and Remus at the table. He gave Lilly a slow smile, wagging his eyebrows. Lilly only returned the smile with a heated glare.

"Snape, Severus!"

Remus looked up and watched as the glossy black haired boy walked up to the stool. "It's that snake boy from the train," Sirius muttered to James.

"Yeah, that's Snivellus," James replied. "Hope he trips on his way back from the stool and gets hurt so badly he can't attend school anymore."

"Don't talk about him that way!" Lilly hissed.

"_Don't talk about him that way!"_ James mimicked in a high, annoying voice. Lilly, bewitched James's neck tie to smack him in the face.

_He likes her,_ Remus thought silently, watching the way James caught his writhing tie. The bespectacled boy looked away from her, muttering angrily. _If only the bloke realizes it before it's too late. _

"Slytherin!" the hat called out. Severus stood up from the stool and walked to the Slytherin side. Remus jolted when he saw the tall blond boy from the train, his face free of tentacles, give Severus a pat on the back as the first year sat down beside him. Severus looked up, his smile fading as he watched Lilly who sat at the Gryffindor table.

James' hands clenched, his brown eyes narrowing. Remus heard, with his sensitive werewolf ears, James mutter quietly. "Don't you dare look at her like that, you creep." Severus, catching the glare James directed towards him, stared back with loathing.

Remus shivered. Something told him James and Severus were not going to be friends this year, nor the year after that.

* * *

Sirius gave a long throaty burp as James and Remus walked beside him to their dormitory. James applauded while Sirius bowed. "Thank you, thank you."

"There will be no burping in the hallways," the prefect leading them to their rooms said angrily.

"That's _actually_ a rule?" Sirius asked incredulously.

"It is now that we're here," James snickered quietly.

"Quiet! I don't want to take points away from my own house the first night I'm a prefect," said the young man. "These are your rooms," he said. "I'm leaving." With that the prefect left them, muttering about crazy first years.

Remus followed James and Sirius into the large room, amazed. "This is really our room?" he asked.

James turned to regard Remus incredulously. "Yes. Whose did you think they were?"

Remus' eyes went wider. "We're sleeping in here?"

James laughed, leapt onto one of the beds, and started to jump on it agilely. "Yes. See, there's your trunk right there on the edge of the bed."

Remus looked and there it was with his name scrawled across it in white nail polish his mother had used to mark it. Remus didn't want to tell James he had only enough space in his bedroom at home for his bed and a bookshelf. His house, though it was a clean place, was small.

"H-hello." The three boys looked up to regard their last dormitory mate. Peter Pettigrew. He looked with wide darting eyes at the three other boys. "Hi."

Sirius began to snicker but James threw a dirty sock at the tallest boy. "Hi Peter," James said cheerfully as Sirius sputtered, retching on the smell of dirty sock. Jumping off the bed James landed easily and held out a hand to Peter. "The name's James Potter."

Looking at James in awe and slight admiration Peter shook the hand that was offered. "Hello," the boy answered shakily.

James smiled. "You got the first day shakes? It is kind of exciting though, right?"

Peter gulped and nodded. Remus could not help but smile a little. Already Peter was looking more comfortable. He supposed that James just had that effect on people. Remus opened his trunk to look at his books. He picked up his Defense Against the Dark Arts text and opened it to the page he had marked. "Reading the school books already?" Sirius asked incredulously.

Remus sheepishly looked up while Sirius grinned at him. "It's interesting," he said hesitantly.

Sirius took the book and opened it up to a random page. "'How to stop simple curses before they begin,'" he read out loud. Sirius closed the book and grinned. "Kick whoever is casting the curse in the bullocks before they get a chance to shout it."

"Right you are, Sirius," James called. He was half submerged in his trunk, throwing socks and books every where. "Mum packed snacks! Want some?"

"We just ate!" Sirius said, passing Remus back his book. "You have a black hole for a stomach."

"Yeah, got a problem with that?"

Sirius laughed. "Nope, you're the same as me. But I just hope the house elves are going to get paid for their work as long as we're here."

James jaw dropped. "Paid? Don't be so cruel. You realize the heart attacks they'd get, right? But really, I think they should be paid something for all they do here."

James pulled out packets of chocolates and chucked a few at the other three boys. Peter yelped when a chocolate hit him in the back. "Sorry," James called, but Peter was more than happy to take the chocolate with a mumbled thanks. "Hey Remus, do you have any more of those special sweets?"

Remus smiled. "The Slytherins ate them all," he admitted.

"Do you think you could show us how to make them?" James and Sirius were smiling, their expressions mischievous.

* * *

If Remus was worried about the Sorting, then the actual classes made him terrified. He woke two hours before breakfast on September 1st to make certain his eyes were still human and his teeth were still somewhat normal. He even turned around and patted his rump to make sure it was tail free.

But as the day went by, he realized that even though he didn't resemble a werewolf, some of his teachers certainly seemed to eye him as though he did. It was necessary that the teachers knew about his ailment. The students were blissfully unaware. But Remus was not sure letting the teachers know was all that good. Many of the professors looked at him distrustfully. The Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor, who eyed Remus with fear the minute he came to class, taught his students a lesson about werewolves that day . . . and how to protect themselves from them.

By the time potions class ended that day, James and Severus were enemies. James tripped Severus on his way to retrieve ingredients for a simple cough syrup Professor Slughorn had asked them to concoct. Severus retaliated by magically tying James' shoelaces together. Both boys were sentenced to two hours of detention cleaning cauldrons.

But detention could not stop James from being mischievous. The next three weeks were some of the most memorable weeks at Hogwarts. Madam Pomfrey could not find the source of the epidemics that were spreading like wildfire all over the campus. Nearly ten students came to the sick wing a day with the oddest ailments: Extra noses, invisible hands, warts that constantly changed shape, size, and color depending upon the temperature and climate of the air. A few boys had such embarrassing ailments that a male physician from St. Mungo was called to the school to help treat them. However, none of them confessed that most of the ailments were self inflicted.

Remus stared down at his oatmeal as another unfortunate victim of the "special sweets" was carried out of the dining hall. The unfortunate third year had no legs to stand on because they had grown, like antlers, out of the top of his head. Despite his predicament he seemed to be enjoying the attention. "How much are you paying the students who are testing the sweets?" Remus asked. He was drawing little circles on a piece of parchment.

Sirius and James, who knew every ingredient of Remus's special snacks, had perfected it. "They get a supply of the already-been-tested items," Jame replied.

Remus sighed, rubbing a hand over his forehead. His head was pounding. Beside him a simple Muggle calendar adorned with Monet landscapes his mother bought him was opened up. September 19th was circled in black ink, and a large black dot was drawn angrily beside it.

"That's tonight," James said, pointing to the black circle. "The full moon. Are you keeping track of the lunar cycles?"

_James, you're dangerously clever, _Remus thought. "It's a full moon then?" Remus asked innocently. "I marked it because that's when I need to go home to see my mother."

"Your mum?" James asked. "Why?"

"She's ill. Very sick."

"Why didn't you say anything?" James asked, and a surprised Remus looked at him. James's hazel eyes were narrowed with concern. Sirius actually looked a little worried as well. For the last three weeks the three of them had become close. A reluctant Remus had already accompanied them on several night excursions.

"I guess I didn't really want to say anything about it," Remus answered.

In onehour Remus said goodnight to his friends and walked down to the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey was already waiting for him. She smiled warmly, even though she knew exactly what he would become that night.

In the dark she led him to the tall, writhing tree and her warm, reassuring hand held his. She raised a fallen branch into the air and it pressed against the roots of the willow. The tree froze and they were able to pass between the roots.

They walked together down the tunnel, and she made light conversation with him. "Have you made friends?" she asked.

Remus nodded, gulping. Even though he still had an hour till the moon rise he was afraid that someone would magically speed up the lunar cycle so that, by some unfortunate twist of fate, he would hurt and possibly kill Madam Pomfrey. And he definitely did not want to do that. He said, in a scratchy voice, "Yes. Peter, Sirius, and James are . . . my friends."

The house was totally enclosed. There was really no way to get out except through the tunnel back to the willow. There were couches, chairs, and rugs. It may have looked cozy if the windows had not been boarded up. Madam Pomfrey gave him a hug, told him she would be back in the morning, and he was left alone.

For an hour he paced on the carpeted floor. The windows were boarded up so he had no clue when the moon would rise. He did not realize when the room was no longer covered in darkness, nor did he know when he could smell the two year old ink stain on the hem of his shirt, but when he did, when he felt his pupils and irises dilating and his jaw shifting, he understood that he was transforming.

And the pain was just as unbearable as it had always been.

The cozy furniture became torn by his claws, the curtains ripped, the wood boarding up the windows scarring. The smell of the witch who brought him there still lingered in the air, and he wanted to rend her to pieces. So he searched for a way to escape, tearing into the walls. But when he could find none he attacked himself, tearing at his arms, racing from room to room. He threw himself against a door, breaking it, bounding onto the titled floor of a dark bathroom. And he came to a halt.

Standing on its hind legs, claws grasping the bathroom counter, was a werewolf staring back at him from a large mirror, its yellow brown eyes glowing and wild, his own blood dripping from its long sharp teeth teeth.

The part inside him that was still human realized with horror that it was truly seeing itself as a monster for the first time in its life.

The werewolf roared in revulsion and the mirror shattered into a million pieces under the force of its brutal strength.


End file.
